SB30, the bill to allow civil unions in Delaware just passed 13-6-2. The main opponent of the bill was Senator Venables, who tried to attach 2 amendments. One amendment was to allow family members or other non-romantic relationships have civil unions and the other was to put civil unions up on a state referenda. Both failed.

The bill survived two hostile amendment efforts by Sen. Robert Venables, D-Laurel, and a motion to table it by Sen. Joe Booth, R-Georgetown, who wanted more time to draft other amendments.

Venables’ first amendment, rejected 12-2, with five not voting and two absent, would have expanded the bill to include opposite-sex couples and other family members who live together. The second, rejected 12-6, with one not voting and two absent, would have required endorsement in a statewide referendum before the law could take effect.

“I’m not against homosexuality,” Venables said. “I don’t understand it, but I’m certainly not a bigot. I’m not a hater.”

Venables and Ennis were the two Democrats voting against the bill. Bonini, Lawson, Simpson and Booth.

This is not their first time being absent on an important gay rights vote. On June 30th of 2005, both Sens. Connor and Cloutier “disappeared” from a petition signing to take an earlier version of SB 121 (Adding Sexual Orientation to Delaware Anti-Discriminatory Laws) out of Sen. Adams’ desk drawer veto. They would have been the last two names needed to bring it to the floor and to a vote that would have delivered that civil rights victory four years earlier than it was finally achieved.